Outcomes-based teaching (with maths and science as predominant skills) versus developing creative and lateral thinking.
To be or not to be: should religion be part of official curriculum?
Problem-solving, including collaborative problem - solving
Are educational institutions giving their students the best chances at success later in life?
Speakers
Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video) François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services Angela Ho, Head of the Educational Development Centre at Hong Kong Polytechnic University Natasha Ridge, Research Fellow, Dubai School of Government Nancy Ames, Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC (via video)
Nancy Ames' contribution
With respect to Stream A, I would like to focus on the importance of learning in and through the arts. A growing body of research suggests that arts education not only promotes creativity and critical thinking, but also help students learn other core subjects as well. Integrating music, dance, drama and fine arts into the core curriculum is especially helpful in teaching students with limited language skills or learning disabilities. In addition to improving creativity and academic achievement, the arts have other benefits as well. They can help increase student motivation, promote greater self-confidence, improve interpersonal skills, and foster a greater respect for individual and cultural diversity.
While Howard Gardner has promoted the concept of “multiple intelligences,” most educators focus primarily on two: linguistic and logical-mathematical. The arts help students tap into their spatial, kinesthetic , musical, and interpersonal intelligences to achieve greater success in school and in life beyond school. The arts also give teachers and parents a different lens by which to assess students’ abilities. Even those who don’t learn in traditional ways have a chance to participate and shine in arts-related activities.
Unfortunately, when resources are scarce, it’s often the music and arts programs that are cut, because many educators and parents alike view them as “add-ons or “frills.” My 10-minute presentation will provide the latest scientific evidence regarding the importance of arts education in promoting student learning and achievement. It will also briefly describe the SmART Schools program--a comprehensive, whole-school change program designed to promote understanding in and through the arts. SmART Schools has achieved great success in turning around low-performing schools, transforming school faculty, enhancing student motivation and academic achievement, and generating support from parents and community members. Natasha Ridge's Contribution
I would like to present two case studies examining attempts to reform what is taught in schools, (the curriculum) and the challenges for policy makers and those working in schools. The first case is that of Tajikistan where I recently completed a review of curriculum reform. Tajikistan is an aid-dependant country that is attempting to change what is taught in schools in order to change the education system from the old soviet model based heavily on memorization and emphasising the sciences to a new more inclusive, outcomes based curriculum which is student centred and offers more art, music, ICT and PE. The second case is the United Arab Emirates which is a country that is not dependant on aid and has also yet to introduce a well-rounded curriculum that is student-centred and requires active thinking skills rather than memorization. It too is attempting to have a greater emphasis on PE and ICT and is still trying to decide how to give more time to the arts. Both countries are similar in that they are struggling to transform their systems from a traditional curriculum which gives little time for the arts, physical education, ICT or vocational skills to a more ‘modern’ student centred, outcomes based curriculum. Both countries are predominantly Muslim but while Islamic studies is a compulsory subject in the UAE it is still to be included in Tajikistan and most other Central Asian countries. Economically however there are vast differences, Tajikistan is a poor, landlocked, aid-dependant country while the UAE has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. And yet the challenges to curriculum reform are startlingly similar.
Poorly trained teachers who are dependant on the textbook and focus on memorisation of facts and who are not equipped for the demands of a standards or skills based approach
An outdated curriculum that is textbook centred: in the UAE the curriculum is literally the textbook while in Tajikistan standards have been developed but are not yet widely disseminated and this has meant that the default curriculum remains the textbook
A narrow curriculum which does not allow time for music, art, PE, ICT or technical education such as metal work, wood work or other vocational subjects
Lack of budget and local capacity to develop and implement curriculum changes. Both countries are heavily dependant on foreign expertise which is not sustainable in the long term and both countries also have very low allocations for education, relative to GDP.
Tajikistan and the UAE are also very representative of their respective regions and these cases shed light on some of the issues facing those who wish to reform what is taught in schools. Dr Hendrik Beukes, Head of Department, University of Namibia
Stream leader
Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group
Table of Contents
Discussions
Outcomes-based teaching (with maths and science as predominant skills) versus developing creative and lateral thinking.
To be or not to be: should religion be part of official curriculum?
Problem-solving, including collaborative problem - solving
Are educational institutions giving their students the best chances at success later in life?
Speakers
Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
Angela Ho, Head of the Educational Development Centre at Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Natasha Ridge, Research Fellow, Dubai School of Government
Nancy Ames, Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC (via video)
Nancy Ames' contribution
With respect to Stream A, I would like to focus on the importance of learning in and through the arts. A growing body of research suggests that arts education not only promotes creativity and critical thinking, but also help students learn other core subjects as well. Integrating music, dance, drama and fine arts into the core curriculum is especially helpful in teaching students with limited language skills or learning disabilities. In addition to improving creativity and academic achievement, the arts have other benefits as well. They can help increase student motivation, promote greater self-confidence, improve interpersonal skills, and foster a greater respect for individual and cultural diversity.
While Howard Gardner has promoted the concept of “multiple intelligences,” most educators focus primarily on two: linguistic and logical-mathematical. The arts help students tap into their spatial, kinesthetic , musical, and interpersonal intelligences to achieve greater success in school and in life beyond school. The arts also give teachers and parents a different lens by which to assess students’ abilities. Even those who don’t learn in traditional ways have a chance to participate and shine in arts-related activities.
Unfortunately, when resources are scarce, it’s often the music and arts programs that are cut, because many educators and parents alike view them as “add-ons or “frills.” My 10-minute presentation will provide the latest scientific evidence regarding the importance of arts education in promoting student learning and achievement. It will also briefly describe the SmART Schools program--a comprehensive, whole-school change program designed to promote understanding in and through the arts. SmART Schools has achieved great success in turning around low-performing schools, transforming school faculty, enhancing student motivation and academic achievement, and generating support from parents and community members.
Natasha Ridge's Contribution
I would like to present two case studies examining attempts to reform what is taught in schools, (the curriculum) and the challenges for policy makers and those working in schools.
The first case is that of Tajikistan where I recently completed a review of curriculum reform. Tajikistan is an aid-dependant country that is attempting to change what is taught in schools in order to change the education system from the old soviet model based heavily on memorization and emphasising the sciences to a new more inclusive, outcomes based curriculum which is student centred and offers more art, music, ICT and PE.
The second case is the United Arab Emirates which is a country that is not dependant on aid and has also yet to introduce a well-rounded curriculum that is student-centred and requires active thinking skills rather than memorization. It too is attempting to have a greater emphasis on PE and ICT and is still trying to decide how to give more time to the arts.
Both countries are similar in that they are struggling to transform their systems from a traditional curriculum which gives little time for the arts, physical education, ICT or vocational skills to a more ‘modern’ student centred, outcomes based curriculum. Both countries are predominantly Muslim but while Islamic studies is a compulsory subject in the UAE it is still to be included in Tajikistan and most other Central Asian countries.
Economically however there are vast differences, Tajikistan is a poor, landlocked, aid-dependant country while the UAE has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
And yet the challenges to curriculum reform are startlingly similar.
- Poorly trained teachers who are dependant on the textbook and focus on memorisation of facts and who are not equipped for the demands of a standards or skills based approach
- An outdated curriculum that is textbook centred: in the UAE the curriculum is literally the textbook while in Tajikistan standards have been developed but are not yet widely disseminated and this has meant that the default curriculum remains the textbook
- A narrow curriculum which does not allow time for music, art, PE, ICT or technical education such as metal work, wood work or other vocational subjects
- Lack of budget and local capacity to develop and implement curriculum changes. Both countries are heavily dependant on foreign expertise which is not sustainable in the long term and both countries also have very low allocations for education, relative to GDP.
Tajikistan and the UAE are also very representative of their respective regions and these cases shed light on some of the issues facing those who wish to reform what is taught in schools.Dr Hendrik Beukes, Head of Department, University of Namibia
Stream leader
Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group